Hudson - Jersey City Pride - Saturday, 28th Aug, 11:00am to 9:00pm

Integrity NYC Metro and Oasis will have an informational table at this year's Jersey City Pride Festival, to be held on Saturday, 28th August.

We definitely need persons to staff the table. If you are free on that day we could really use the help from about 11:00am to about 7;00pm or so.  The first ever Jersey City Pride Parade kicks off at noon and we need to be set up before then. The parade will go directly past our booth.

For those coming from New York, the PATH trains run differently on the week-ends than during the week. My suggestion would be to get the PATH at the World Trade Centre, take it one stop to Exchange Place. The Exchange Place station is right in the middle of the Pride Festival Grounds. Then just walk up Montgomery Street until you find us.

Let us know if you can help out.

General information about the day can be found at:

http://www.jclgo.org/

Paul J. Lane

Diocesan Organizer

Integrity USA - Diocese of New York

newyork@integrityusa.org

Christian Paolino

Diocesan Organizer

Integrity USA - Diocese of Newark

newark@integrityusa.org

Believe Out Loud Workshop - Province I & II, Danbury CT, 23-24 Jul

About Believe Out Loud:

Many unchurched lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] people in your community are spiritually searching. They are looking for a faith community where they will be welcomed and affirmed as beloved children of God. You can encourage them to visit and join your parish by becoming a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation.

A Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation is a mission or parish of our denomination that publicly welcomes and affirms LGBT people and that has completed a simple, three-phase process. If your parish qualifies, I invite you to register as a Believe Out Loud Episcopal Congregation

Believe Out Loud is a "franchise" being utilized by Integrity USA and endorsed by OASIS, TransEpiscopal, and various diocesan level LGBT committees and ministries to designate Episcopal Parishes that are welcoming, inclusive, and celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people - people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Believe Out Loud is being utilized by multiple denominations as a standard for identifying and gauging inclusive churches. PCUSA, ELCA, UMC, UCC, Disciples of Christ, and some American Baptists have already begun utilizing this process, though they may call it by different names.

The Workshop:

Start Time: Friday, July 23, 2010 at 12:00pm

End Time: Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 5:00pm

Location: St. James Episcopal Church

Street: 25 West St

City/Town: Danbury, CT

Who Should Attend?

Any Episcopalian who wants to learn how he or she can help make their parish and diocese become more welcoming and affirming of LGBT folk. Current and prospective chapter leaders and diocesan organizers are especially encouraged to register. Although this event is primarily for those who live in Province 1 and 2, participants from other states are welcome.

Trainers

The workshop will be facilitated by:

Neil Houghton, Vice President for Local Affairs

John-Albert Moseley, Province 1 Coordinator

Chap James Day, Province 2 Coordinator

Lodging:

You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. A courtesy block of 16 rooms has been reserved for July 23rd at the following hotel. The rate is $109 single or double. Mention "Integrity" when making your reservation. Reservations must be made by June 25th to receive the quoted rate.

The Ethan Allen Hotel

21 Lake Avenue Extension

Danbury, Connecticut 06811-9956800-742-1776 toll free

203-744-1776 local

A few local Integrity members may be willing to host guests in their homes at no cost. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please indicate this when you register.

Cost:

There is no registration fee for this workshop. However, you are responsible for your own travel, lodging, and meal expenses unless otherwise stated.

Scholarships:

A limited number of $150 scholarships are available to help defray participant's travel and lodging costs. If you would like to take advantage of this offer, please indicate this when you register.

Meals Included:

The following meals will be provided:

Buffet Dinner on Friday, July 23rd

Continental Breakfast on Saturday, July 24th

Boxed Luncheon on Saturday, July 24th

If you have special dietary needs or preference, please indicate this when you register.

Accessibility:

The meeting venue is wheelchair accessible. If you require other accommodation [such as an ASL interpreter, please indicate this when you register.

Air Travel & Ground Transportation:

The Westchester County Airport [HPN] is the closest to Danbury. Several budget airlines serve this location.

Danbury is approximately 45 minutes by car from the airport.

Danbury is accessible from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Take Metro-North's New Haven Line (red) to Stamford, CT and transfer to the Danbury connector. The trip is estimated at a little over 2 hours. The Danbury Station is walking distance to St. James Church.

For fares and schedule, consult the MTA website.

Registration

Click here - > Registration

Questions:

If you any questions, please contact...

John-Albert Moseley, Province 1 Coordinator

860-604-0730

john-albert.moseley@yale.edu

Chap James Day, Province 2 Coordinator

(347) 840-1700

chap@integrityusa.org

Pride March Thank You

A message from Paul Lane:

As the organizer of the Pride March contingent for the Committee on LGBT Concerns of the Diocese of New York, I would like to thank everyone who helped make this year's LGBT Pride March such a success.

The marchers, who came from at least four diocese and made us one of the larger groups in the March. The benefactors, parishes, organization and individuals, who came through to fund the float. The folks at Integrity NYC Metro and Oasis Newark who were instrumental in getting the word out. Our wonderful DJ Brett. Our group marshals: Stephen, Erlinda, Lou and Mark. The Church of the Transfiguration, who made our out of town marchers feel welcome at their 11:00 a.m. Eucharist. The churches along the way who provided water for all the marchers, Marble Collegiate, First Presbyterian, especially the Episcopal Church of the Ascension (who added just a twist of lemon) and the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, who welcomed us at the end of the March both spiritually at Evensong and physically at the reception that followed.

Our visibility is very important. Our presence in the March is a wonderful way to reach out to the LGBT community, many of whom have had very negative experiences with "church" in the past, letting them know that is a church (among others) that welcomes them and is dedicated to "respecting the dignity of every human being".

Planning for next year's March will start in September. Anyone interested in helping can contact us at info@lgbt.dioceseny.org

Again, many thanks to all.

Paul J. Lane

Pride March Organizer

Committee on LGBT Concerns

The Episcopal Diocese of New York

Diocesan Organizer of New York

Integrity USA

Steering Committee Member

Integrity NYC Metro

To see some photos of the 2 block contingent, please see these two Albums:

Pride March 06-27-10 by Millard Cook

Heritage of Pride 2010 by Christian Paolino

Trans Day of Action - 25 Jun 2010, 4pm at City Hall Park

Co-Sponsored Event:
Where: City Hall Park
When: 25 Jun, 4pm-7pm


The 6th Annual NYC Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice Points of Unity

Initiated by TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color Center for Community Organizing.
June 25, 2010

We call on our Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) community and on all of our allies from many movements to join us for the 6th Annual Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice. We as TGNC People of Color (POC) recognize the importance of working together alongside other movements to change the world we want to see. We live in a time when oppressed peoples including communities such as people of color, immigrants, youth and elders, people with disabilities, women and TGNC people, and poor people are disproportionately underserved, face higher levels of discrimination, heightened surveillance and experience increased violence at the hands of the state. We are in solidarity with communities in Arizona organizing to fight the ongoing policing of our identities as they resist and oppose SB-1070 that legalizes unchecked racial profiling by police of anyone they “suspect” is undocumented.

It is critical that we unite and work together towards dismantling the transphobia, racism, classism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia and xenophobia that permeates throughout our movements for social justice. Let’s come together to let the world know that TGNC rights will not be undermined and together we will not be silenced! These are the points of unity, which hold together the purpose of this important march:

• We demand that TGNC people have equal access to employment and education opportunities. We are outraged by the high numbers of TGNC people who are unemployed. Many TGNC people continue to face blatant discrimination and harassment from employers due to systemic transphobia. Few TGNC people have access to opportunities for learning in a safe school environment. TGNC people demand that all employers and educational institutions implement non-discrimination policies that respect the rights of all workers and students and that they comply with the NYC Human Rights Law that prohibits discrimination against gender identity and expression.
• We demand that all people receiving public assistance entitlements including TGNC People of Color, be treated with respect and dignity. We are in solidarity with all people living on public assistance. The NYC agency responsible for the administration of public welfare, the Human Resources Administration (HRA), finally passed the procedure for Serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming clients, but this is not enough! We demand full implementation of the procedure including culturally competent trainings for all employees.
• We demand the full legalization of all immigrants. TGNC people deserve the right to access competent and respectful immigration services. We demand that the consulates of all countries respect and honor our identities and issue passports and other documentation that accurately reflects who we are. We oppose the guest worker program, the Real ID Act, enforcement provisions to build more walls and give greater powers to the Department of Homeland Security, increased barriers for asylum seekers, and other anti-immigrant policies that continue to divide our communities. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous-identified Two-Spirit people and the sovereignty of the First Nations, on whose land we now see the US attempt to enforce arbitrary boarders.
• We are in solidarity with all prisoners, especially the many TGNC people behind the walls who are often invisible even within prisoner’s rights movements. We call attention to the under-reported accounts of severe violence and rape that our community faces at the hands of correction officers and other prisoners, in psychiatric facilities, and group homes. We demand an end to the torture and high level of discrimination TGNC prisoners face. We demand that all TGNC prisoners receive competent and respectful healthcare. We oppose the continued growth of the prison industrial complex that continues to target our communities, yet we recognize that TGNC people need access to services and facilities that lessen our vulnerability to violence within the present jails and prisons. We are opposed to the closing of the “gay and Trans housing” unit on Rikers. We call attention to the criminal injustice system that increasingly puts POC, immigrants, people with disabilities, TGNC people and poor people behind bars - further criminalizing our communities and our lives.
• We demand that TGNC people have access to respectful and safe living spaces and community spaces. Many TGNC people face severe discrimination from landlords and housing administrators displacing us from our homes due to gender identity or expression. A disproportionate number of TGNC people have been or are currently homeless. However, many homeless TGNC people continue to face discrimination and violence when trying to access shelters and other assisted living programs. NYC law and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) state that people will be placed in shelters according to that person’s gender identity and that discrimination based on gender identity will not be tolerated. We support Queers for Economic Justice in their demand that all DHS shelter administrators provide adequate Trans sensitivity trainings for all personnel and enforce clear non-discrimination policies that respect the dignity and safety of all homeless people. We oppose the ongoing profit driven development of our neighborhoods. We support FIERCE’s campaign to counter the displacement and criminalization of LGBTQ youth of color at the Christopher Street Pier and in Manhattan's West Village.
• We oppose the US “War on Terrorism” as an excuse to legitimize the expansion of the U.S. as an imperial super power and to justify a national security strategy that is really meant to militarize our boarders and heighten surveillance and control over people living in the U.S., separating our communities by fostering feelings of hate, xenophobia, and violence. Every day we see more and more of our basic human rights like jobs, education, housing, privacy, self-determination and the right of dissent slipping away from all of us. We must demand the immediate removal of all U.S. troops from all countries under occupation and demand an end of use of U.S. dollars to cultivate and sponsor wars against people in the U.S. and abroad.
• We demand justice for the many TGNC people who have been beaten, assaulted, raped, and murdered yet these incidents continue to be silenced, misclassified or blamed on the victim. The police and the media continue to criminalize us even when we try to defend ourselves. Hate crime laws will not solve the problem but will give increased power to the state to put more people in jail. Instead we call for a unified effort for all of us to look deeper into the root causes of why these incidents happen. As a society that seeks social justice we seek to find ways of holding people accountable and coming to a joint understanding of how we can make our communities safer for all of us. Like many other oppressed communities such as POC, immigrants, people with disabilities and poor people, TGNC people are targeted, profiled and brutalized by the police. We demand an end to the profiling, harassment, brutality and murder that occurs at the hands of the police! These incidents of violence do not occur in isolation, and are aggravated by racism, sexism, classism, ableism, xenophobia, misogyny, ageism and homophobia.

We are in solidarity with the family of Sean Bell, who are still tirelessly working towards justice after the police were acquitted of charges. We are in solidarity with the Jersey 4, 4 Lesbian women arrested in the West Village for defending themselves from a man that assaulted them. We are in solidarity with Miriam, a transgender woman who was pushed out the window of her 4th floor apt and left for dead. We commemorate the memory of Amanda Milan, Sakia Gunn, Ruby Ordeñana, Gwen Araujo, Erika Keels, Victoria Arellano, Lawrence King, Saneesha Stewart, Ashley Santiago, Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar, April Green and the many other brave souls we have lost, who struggled and lived their lives fearlessly day in and day out, being true to who they were. They keep the fire of struggle burning within all of us.

On June 25, 2010, TGNC People of Color and allies will take on the streets of New York City once again and demand justice to let the world know that the Stonewall rebellion is not over and we will continue fighting for social and economic justice, raising our voices until we are heard. We call on all social justice activists from communities of color, the LGBT movement, immigrant rights movement, the anti-war movement, the reproductive justice movement, disability justice movements, youth and student groups, trade unions and worker organizations, religious communities and HIV/AIDS and social service agencies, both local and organizations around the country to endorse this call to action and to build contingents to march in solidarity together on June 25, 2010.

Endorsed by the following Organizations:

2-Spirit First Nations Collective, African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change (AALUSC), Ali Forney Center, ALLGO, Anti-Violence Project, Astraea Foundation, Axios Eastern Orthodox LGBT Christians, Barangay NY, BiNET USA, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Butch Voices, CAAAV, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, casa atabex ache'- the house of womyn's power, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Community Kinship Life (CKlife), Community United Against Violence (CUAV), Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (CBST), Day One, DC Trans Coalition, El/La Para TransLatinas, Femme Menace Action Club, Femme Sharks, FIERCE!, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FIRE), FIST, Freedom Train Productions, GAPIMNY, GATE - Global Action for Trans* Equality, Girls for Gender Equity, GLAAD, GLOBE, GRIOT Circle, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Human Right Campaign, Idriss Stelley Foundation, Inner Child Experience, Integrity NYC Metro, Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality (ICTE), Jews For Racial and Economic Justice, Jim Collins Foundation, Justice Committee, Justice League Activate!, Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives, Lambda Legal, Latinos/as Unidos de New York(LUNY), LGBT Center N.Y.C., MCCNY, Movement Support Project, Ms. Foundation, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National INCITE! Coalition, New York City Anti-Violence Project, New York Transgender Rights Organization (NYTRO), Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, OUTmedia, Peter Cicchino Project, Poly Patao Productions (P3), Pride Goes East, PRYDE, Queer Black Cinema International Film Festival, Queer People Of Color Action/Working Class Queer People, Queers for Economic Justice, Q-Wave, Radical Women, Rev. Janyce L. Jackson, Liberation In Truth Unity Fellowship Church, Riot Grrrl Ink, SAGE, SALGA N.Y.C, Sanctuary Collective, SF Education Not Incarceration, SF TAPA (Transgenders Against Police Abuse), Soulforce, SWANK (Sex Workers Action New York), SWOP-NYC (Sex Workers Outreach Project-NYC), Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Texas GSA Network, The Transgender Law Center, TransCEND Boston, Transgender Health Empowerment,Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project, Washington Heights Corner Project

Upcoming Pride Celebrations

A Message from Paul Lane

The Committee on LGBT Concerns of the Diocese of New York, along with Integrity NYC Metro and Oasis Newark invite everyone to join us in the 2010 LGBT Pride March on Sunday, June 27th 2010. This year we have a float with music. The float is very basic. Our people will add the color, so dress accordingly and don’t forget the sunscreen. Please bring your parish banner or a sign identifying your parish.

Our meeting place is on East 38th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues. Everyone should be there and ready to go at 12:30 p.m. The March NYC Pride will do their best to get us moving shortly thereafter. Due to security regulations, you may not join the March en route.

If you will be unable to attend your local Sunday service you are warmly invited to join with Integrity NYC Metro and Oasis Newark in worship at the Church of the Transfiguration, One East 29th Street for their 11:00 a.m. Eucharist. Meet Chap Day in front of the church after the service and walk the 9 short blocks to the March staging area together. (about 10 minute walk). Bishop Andrew St. John and the folks at Transfiguration are excited to have us for this service!

We will be looking for folks to help carry an Episcopal banner, the OASIS banner, and the Integrity banner in shifts, and want all of our parishes to be represented.

After the March, please join with your fellow marchers at a Festive Choral Evensong at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields, Hudson Street south of Christopher, at 6:30 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Herbert A. Donovan will preside. Rev. Altagracia Perez will preach. Refreshments will follow on the grounds.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Paul Lane at pride@lgbt.dioceseny.org.

Paul J. Lane

Pride March Coordinator, Episcopal Diocese of New York Committee on LGBT Concerns
New York Diocesan Organizer, Integrity USA
Board Member, Integrity NYC-Metro

SUMMARY DETAILS:

Integrity Eucharist at Transfiguration
Where: 29th St between 5th Ave and Madison Ave
When: 11am - 27 Jun 2010

Episcopal Contingency at Heritage of Pride (Mustering Spot)
Where: 38th St between Madison Ave and Park Ave
When: 12:30pm - 27 Jun 2010

Annual Gay Pride Evensong at St Luke in the Fields
Where: Hudson St at Grove St (South of Christopher St)
When: 6:30pm - 27 Jun 2010 (get there at 6 for a good seat)

A Visit by Bishop Christopher Senyonjo

The story below was provided by Paul J. Lane, Diocesan Organizer for Integrity in the Diocese of New York. The photo shows Paul on the left, Bishop Christopher in the center, and Chap James Day [Integrity's Province 2 Coordinator] on the right.

The aroma of the incense hung heavily in the hot, humid air as the Ugandan prelate mounted the steps of the pulpit in the old village church, St. Luke in the Fields, in New York’s Greenwich Village last Sunday [June 6, 2010].

The Right Reverend Christopher Senyonjo, the retired Bishop of the Diocese of West Buganda, Uganda, took as his subject the second reading of the day: Galatians 1:11-24; Paul discussing his conversion from his former life as a persecutor of Christians. The congregation listened in rapt attention as the bishop spoke of his own "conversion" and how, by listening to the stories of LGBT people, he came to believe that LGBT Christians are full members of the body of Christ. He told of how he also has been persecuted and how, if a new bill proposed in the Ugandan Parliament becomes law, he himself may be jailed for his inclusive stance. He also spoke of how, in Uganda, openly LGBT persons are not able to receive any treatment for HIV/AIDS.

The Rev. Mary Foulke, Senior Associate for Pastoral Care and Outreach at St. Luke’s "was delighted to welcome Bp. Christopher to St. Luke’s and to make this connection with those around the world who embrace a critical Biblical theology in support of liberative practices of welcoming and standing up with those on the margins. Bp. Christopher is a wonderful example of many grassroots priests, bishops and lay leaders in the Southern Hemisphere that are doing great work and who don’t get the press or attention that others with more conservative American support seem to attract."

Paul J. Lane, the Chair of the parish’s LGBT Life @ St. Luke’s Committee and Diocesan Organizer for Integrity for the Diocese of New York says that "as a parish, this is only the beginning of our relationship with Bp. Christopher and Integrity Uganda. Our goal is to be able to raise $1000.00 for Bp. Christopher’s ministry and we began that journey today. The stories of our LGBT brothers and sisters around the world must be brought to the attention of those of us who live in more accepting societies." St. Luke’s history as been one of full inclusion as well as support of such organizations such as Integrity USA and Changing Attitude Nigeria, having in the past hosted Mr. Davis Mac-Iyalla, the exiled leader of CA Nigeria.

After the service, Bp. Christopher was an honored guest at the annual parish picnic, where he was able to speak directly to many parish members, including a group of seminarians from his own alma mater, Union Theological Seminary.

Integrity USA, a 35-year-old LGBT advocacy group within The Episcopal Church, is the sponsor of Bishop Christopher visit.

Rally To Protect Homeless LGBT Youth - 14 Jun, 6:30 pm at Union Sq

Co-Sponsored Event
Where: Union Square
When: 6:30pm, 14 Jun

On Monday, June 14th at 6:30PM, numerous prominent LGBT and progressive leaders and organizations will come together at a highly anticipated rally at Union Square in support of the LGBT Homeless Youth community. Comedian, singer, actress, author and out lesbian Sandra Bernhard will speak along with Iraq Combat Veteran and gay rights activist Dan Choi, as well as youth representatives from various organizations serving young LGBT people.

As LGBT youth find the courage to come out of the closet at younger ages, thousands are being rejected by their families and forced out of their homes. Most homeless LGBT youth describe having suffered violence and harassment in their homes due to their sexual orientations and gender identities. As many as 40% of the homeless youth in the United States are LGBT. Homeless LGBT youth are subjected to violence and harassment on the streets and in mainstream youth shelters. They face tremendous risk of HIV infection, drug addiction, and criminalization.

This phenomenon of thousands of LGBT youth being forced from their homes due to homophobia, stripped of economic support, and made to endure homelessness represents the most terrible cruelty and intolerance currently directed at the LGBT community. “Any community has an obligation to protect its youth when they are being hurt and attacked,” says Carl Siciliano, Executive Director of Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. “We call on the LGBT Community to stand up for our youth suffering on the streets, and advocate that they receive the protection and care that all young people need and deserve.”

We call on the members of the LGBT Community, our straight allies, and on all decent people who believe that youths should not be thrown to the streets for being LGBT, to rally in support of the following goals:

• To show solidarity with homeless LGBT youth, to demonstrate outrage that so many young members of our community face family rejection, violence, and homelessness, and to call on the adult members of the LGBT and allied community to demonstrate increased concern, support and advocacy for our youth.
• To advocate that local, state, and federal government funding be made available to provide the housing and supportive services needed by homeless LGBT youth so they can escape the streets, and that efforts be funded to prevent LGBT youth from being subjected to violence and rejection in their homes.
• To advocate that protecting our youth from abuse, rejection, and homelessness be recognized as a major priority in our local and national LGBT advocacy agendas.

The rally is endorsed by many significant local and national community organizations, including: Ali Forney Center, Anyone But Me, Broadway Impact, Broadway Speaks Out, Bronx Community Pride Center, The Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Center for American Progress, The Center for Anti-violence Education, Chris Ryan NYC, CitizeNYC, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Covenant House New York, Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund/Give a Damn Campaign, Deconstructive Theatre Project, The Door, Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services, FIERCE, Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats (GLID), Gay Men of African Descent, GLSEN, GMHC, GetEQUAL, Green Chimneys Children's Services, Hetrick Martin Institute, Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, Integrity NYC, The LGBT Community Center, Make The Road New York, Manhattan Young Democrats, National Youth Advocacy Coalition, New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC), New York City Anti-Violence Project, The NYC Association of Homeless and Street-Involved Youth Organizations, Out Astoria, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays National, Queers for Economic Justice, Safe Space NYC, Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, Take Back Pride, Talkaboutequality.org, True Colors Residence and West End Intergenerational Residence.

Additionally, the rally is endorsed by many prominent community leaders, including: US Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand D-NY, Carl Siciliano, Sandra Bernhard, Lt. Dan Choi, Joe Jervis, Frankie Grande (Mr. Broadway 2007), Brendan Fay, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, NYC Council Member Lewis Fidler, Ryan J. Davis, Ally Sheedy, Cathy Renna, Marti Thomas (Mr. Broadway 2008), Reverend Irene Monroe, Peter Staley, David Mixner, NYS Assemblymember Micah Kellner, U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), David Badash, Anthony Hallock (Mr. Broadway 2009), Kai Wright, Rod McCullom, Sassafras Lowrey (Editor of "Kicked Out), NYS Senator Tom Duane, NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm, Charlie Williams (current Mr. Broadway), and NYC Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer.

IntegrityNYC-Metro - News Update

Just a few announcements as we head into Pride Month.

1. It is with great sadness that we announce the departure of David Casey.  David was instrumental in the resurrection of the Integrity Chapter in New York City, and has served as our Convener since its inception.  He is pursuing other opportunities in Southeast Florida, and we wish him the best of luck.

2. Integrity NYC board has officially voted to change the name to Integrity NYC Metro.  This was done to reflect the geographic diversity present in our chapter, especially those who attend from outside the 5 boroughs of New York.  This is an intentional name change to celebrate our diversity.

3. Integrity NYC Metro welcomes the following members to the Board: Millard Cook, Paul Lane, and Christian Paolino.  Paul Lane also serves as the Integrity USA Diocesan Organizer for New York, as well as serves independently on the Diocese of New York's LGBT Concerns Committee.  Christian Paolino is also serving as the acting Diocesan Organizer for Newark, and serves in OASIS Newark.  We will be looking forward to adding more people to the board, and are beginning a search for a new Convener.

4. Integrity NYC Metro will be participating with OASIS Newark, and the LGBT Concerns Committee of New York in the 41st Annual Pride March on the 27th of June.  Stay tuned for details.

The Diocese of NY's Welcoming Church Workshop at Christ Church, Tarrytown

A Message from Integrity NYC-Metro's newest Board Member Millard Cook:

Dear Friends and Family,

I spent the first part of the day yesterday in Tarrytown attending the "Welcoming Church" workshop at Christ Church. I had a lovely train ride up (and back) with amazing views of the Hudson River and of New Jersey across the way. And I do not think I had ever seen most of Tarrytown previously--certainly I had never been to Christ Church before.

I really enjoyed the workshop and find it to be challenging and thought-provoking. I discovered many resources that I had not known of previously and plan to spend some time exploring them. The three things that touched me most were the stories of individuals to find a real church home, the stories of congregations to become really inclusive and finally some new insight into the status of the struggle-on a diocesan, national, and Anglican Communion level.

Many (I would like to think most) of our parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of New York are welcoming. That is a big step forward and must certainly be acknowledged. And yet, there is a gap. Not all are really inclusive. And there is a difference! It is one thing to say that "anyone is welcome to attend" and entirely another to say that the gifts, talents, and resources of every person are wanted and needed. It takes courage to invite "others" to become active, and ultimately even to become involved in leadership of a parish. The question of to what degree the "other" is fully integrated into the parish is not always an easy one to answer.

The other question, and a far-more challenging one for me, is the degree to which the parish publicly indicates that it really is both welcoming and inclusive. What language is used? What symbols are displayed? How is the message effectively communicated?

I attended this workshop because I have been asked to serve on the Steering Committee of the New York Chapter of Integrity. And so I was very pleased to learn more about the amazing work that has already been accomplished in the EDNY--I could not say enough good things about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Committee. And, I was really astonished by Christ Church--clearly there are some wonderful things happening there.

On a final note, although this was a workshop to explore the degree to which LGBTQ people are welcomed into congregations and then are included in the life of the community, I constantly found myself thinking that the very same methodology could be used for any group. The same issues exist for any group of person who is perceived (at least by some) as "different" or "other." And if the goal is for parishes to be truly diverse, welcoming and inclusive--that takes a lot of intentional, difficult, and perhaps even painful work. One of the Integrity slogans that I like most is "All the Sacraments for All the Baptized." What a wonderful goal.

With Much Love,

Millard 

A native of the Beech Mountain Community of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Millard came to St. Bartholomew's after a varied and colorful past in which he served in ministry, as an educator, and as a technical support trainer and technician for relational databases. Along the way he earned a B.A. in history (Appalachian State University) two masters degrees in theology (M.A. in Systematic Theology and the M.Div. from St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA) and two masters degrees in history (M.A. and M.Phil. in Early Modern European history from Fordham University). For 15 years Millard was a Benedictine monk of St, Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe (the oldest Benedictine monastery in the US) and served for 12 years as a Roman Catholic priest (mostly in the Archdiocese of New York). A dedicated student of Romance languages, he earned minors in French and Spanish and after high school lived for a semester in France. He was worked hard to maintain his fluency in conversational French and Spanish. Millard has been a parishioner of St. Bart's for almost three years and describes the day that he was received by Bishop Catherine Roskam as one of the most meaningful experiences of his adult life. Millard is the son of Janice Storie Davis and the younger brother of Jackie Miller and Debbie Nobles-all of NC. He is a proud uncle of three nephews and of six great-nephews and nieces and an avid amateur photographer, reader, and music lover (everything from Southern Gospel to Pop Latino). In 2009, Millard was accepted as a postulant in the Brotherhood of St. Gregory. 

This May Millard has joined the Steering Committee of Integrity NYC-Metro.

Integrity USA will be hosting intensive workshops focusing on building more Inclusive and Welcoming Churches over the next few months, called Believe Out Loud. The Province II workshop will be hosted in Danbury, CT and co-run with Province I.  This workshop is for congregations that wish to start or continue their Welcome program with resources from a national Episcopal program.  Click here for Registration Details.

Pride and Shame in the Anglican Communion

A personal reflection from Integrity Province II Coordinator Chap James Day:

I remember when Bishop Robinson received the consent to be bishop at General Convention. I was studying abroad with about two dozen or so students from my college at Corpus Christi College in Oxford. I had followed the newsfeeds through the whole debate at convention, sharing the news with the others, most of whom were Presbyterian (PCUSA) and though sympathetic to my hopes, did not have a dog in the fight. Still they joined me for a pint at one of the pubs to toast what would be one of the first pivotal moments for GLBT Christians in the 21st century. After the pint, we went to evensong at Christ Church Cathedral, and later spoke with some of the clergy who told us how proud they were for the Anglican Church, especially in light of what had happened with Jeffery John just months before. It was a day to be proud to be an Episcopalian and an Anglican, and a newbie openly gay person.

I had heard that this would cause the Church to split—that the Communion would crumble, and I watched for the signs of it. I read of the grumblings of more traditional Anglicans—many of which joined voices with other splinter groups that had left well before Robinson was called to be bishop. I also heard the positive voices and Alleluias from the progressive Anglicans who were taking ownership of this time for the achievement that it was in reclaiming our place at the Table.

As the consecration played out, and the Lambeth Commission was called to review what had happened in the Church, we saw people coming in who had felt disenfranchised and unwanted. We also saw many so obsessed with this one issue leave, and the start of many more battles over property and the very soul of the Church. I was blessed to meet the members of the Lambeth Commission while working at Kanuga. I overheard their conversations as I served them food and drink while they stayed there, and I observed their devotion as they prayed at the Chapel of the Transfiguration each day. I also remember the results of their recommendation in the form of the Windsor Report.

I read the report, and many commentaries trying to explain what it meant, and what the implications of the report were for the GLBT members in the Anglican Communion as well as those traditionalists that felt disenfranchised. I felt shame. The GLBT clergy had begun to “come out” and the greater Communion family just did not want to hear it—they did not want to accept that there was a Gay Son among the Bishops, and they sure as hell did not want any more.

Just like a family, some shunned our new bishop, some accepted, some disowned, and some celebrated. More importantly, some tried to reconcile and to educate on why the family needs to accept. There were family members like those involved in Integrity and CFLAG that knew that our Communion-wide need to accept it’s GLBT sons and daughters was important beyond pious notions of what is a sin or not a sin. It was about restoring life to the outcast and unwanted—saving lives and restoring lives—healing the broken hearted—and strengthening the strained “bonds of affection”.

In Columbus we saw the election of the first female Primate in the Anglican Communion—proof of how the need and push for acceptance and equality shows progress in momentous achievements like that. We also saw one of the more ghastly calls for restraint that made no one happy with regards to the still outcast GLBT members of the Church. It is hard to celebrate the achievements of an oppressed sexual minority with the shadow of continued oppression of another minority.

It was at that point that I joined Integrity. I wanted to join the fight that celebrated the achievements of women in the Church and said “And ALSO now GLBT!” The first hurdle was to deal with the restraints that were asked and later confirmed in New Orleans. One of the most disturbing images of these restraints was our new Presiding Bishop’s image of a Lenten fast on continued consecrations. I had had always heard of the fast as giving up something that was bad for you and taking on something good for the world. That sure did not seem like the case with regards to GLBT Episcopalians.

In Anaheim, we moved forward, pushed by Integrity and the many, many allies that also saw this restraint as antithetical to what it means to be a Christian family—another day to be proud to be an Episcopalian. The legislation that was passed was eyed by the patriarch of the family suspiciously… some of our more distant cousins wished to disown us even further claiming that we had gone our own way to ruin. We had whole dioceses vote to disassociate themselves with the Church, often supported by our cousin provinces.

This week we saw yet another momentous day for GLBT Episcopalians—one that will surely continue to rock the boat—in the consent to the election of Mary Glasspool . Again, it happens legally under the cannons of the Episcopal Church that were strengthened by the legislation in Anaheim last year. Again, it has caused the head patriarch of the family to eye us with suspicion. And Again I am proud—but this time I have a huge amount of Shame.

The shame has nothing to do with the great news of LA, but with the disturbing response of Archbishop Rowan Williams. I do not presume to understand what it is like to be a titular head of a denomination so vastly spread across the world, socio-economic strata, and political and theological spectrums. What I do not hear is the same response at words of hatred against us his GLBT members, or the continued efforts of foreign provinces to usurp property in the Episcopal Church. Most deeply ashamed am I of his restrained responses towards the near holocaust-level hatred that is fueling the “Kill Gays Bill” in Uganda.

One of the signs of the Spirit moving in the Church is that this consent comes on the heels of statements of inclusion and support from a Patriarch so wise that non-believes will turn to listen to him, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He is like that wise old family member that knows that the love of the God and the true bonds of affection that bind a family together are stronger than sexuality or morality. He understands that it is crucial to our faith to accept GLBT Christians into the fold and to celebrate with Easter joy when one like Mary Glasspool is called to be a Bishop among us. He warns us of the demoralizing and demonic destruction that awaits those who shun the outcast, hate those who differ, and seek legislation to exterminate that which we do not want to understand.

I only wish Archbishop Williams would listen to Archbishop Tutu and realize that we too are God’s loved children, that we too are called by the Spirit to serve and lead the Church, and that we deserve to solemnize our love in the Church’s sacraments. Williams, it seems, does not see this, Uganda does not want to see this…and that should make us all ashamed and outraged.

Tutu sees this—Los Angeles sees this—and those that consented to Mary Glasspool’s election see this, and that should make us all proud and filled with an Easter joy.

The Human Rights Crisis in Uganda Seminar - Tues 23 Mar, 7pm at Riverside Church

Other Sheep and Maranatha of Riverside Church are Hosting this Seminar

Political Research Associates Rev. Dr. Kapya Kaoma, author of "Globalizing the Culture Wars: U.S. Conservatives, African Churches, and Homophobia," and Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) leader Frank Mugisha will discuss the intersecting of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill, U.S. church politics, and the Institute on Democracy and Religion.

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Time: 7pm

Location: The Riverside Church, Manhattan, New York

Room: MLK 411

Other Co-Sponsors of this Event include:

Believe Out Loud: Episcopal Congregations

Integrity NYC

Dignity NYC

Dignity USA

Metropolitan Community Church of NY

Presbyterian Welcome

Silence to Speech Productions

Lavender and Green Alliance

Read the full announcement at Other Sheep eNews Archives

A Statement from the Diocesan Committee on LGBT Concerns and the Diocesan Social Concerns Comission

As people of faith, we are saddened and disappointed by the New York State Senate’s vote against marriage equality for same-sex couples. The failure to enact this legislation means that families headed by same-sex couples, including families with children, will continue to be denied the same economic security and legal protections that heterosexual married couples have. It is disheartening and is not in keeping with the resolutions of our own Episcopal Church that gay and lesbian persons “are entitled to equal protection of the laws with all other citizens” (GC Resolution A-71, 1976).

Nevertheless, we ask that the people of the Episcopal Diocese of New York diocese, both straight and gay, lay and clergy, continue to keep faith and put their energy into seeing that marriage equality happens in the future. You may want to contact your state senators about their votes. (A listing of the votes of all New York State Senators can be found below.) It is especially important to contact those senators who voted for the legislation. They are our allies, and many spoke eloquently and courageously on behalf of equal treatment for all New York families. They deserve our thanks and support.

In calling your senators and in continuing to advocate, be sure to let them know that the Episcopal Diocese of New York remains on the record as supporting marriage equality for same-sex couples, as per our resolution at the 2008 Diocesan Convention. Although the governor and the senate leaders were told of this, we should continually remind them as we go forward, so as to balance out the voices of other religious groups that fought against marriage equality.

We need to keep the faith and continue to honor our covenant to respect the dignity of every human being.

Peace,

Stephen McFadden

Chair, Diocesan Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns

Episcopal Diocese of New York

The Reverend Mark Hummel

Chair, Social Concerns Commission

Scroll Down: The vote of each state senator is below.

Eric Adams (D) — YES

Joseph Addabbo (D) — NO

James Alesi (R) — NO

Darrel Aubertine (D) — NO

John Bonacic (R) — NO

Neil Breslin (D) — YES

John DeFrancisco (R) — NO

Ruben Diaz (D) — NO

Martin Malave Dilan (D) — YES

Tom Duane (D) — YES

Pedro Espada (D) — YES

Hugh Farley (R) — NO

John Flanagan (R) — NO

Brian Foley (D) — YES

Charles Fuschillo, Jr. (R) — NO

Martin Golden (R) — NO

Joseph Griffo (R) — NO

Kemp Hannon (R) — NO

Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D) — YES

Shirley Huntley (D) — NO

Craig Johnson (D) — YES

Owen Johnson (R) — NO

Jeffrey Klein (D) — YES

Liz Krueger (D) — YES

Carl Kruger (D) — NO

Andrew Lanza (R) — NO

Bill Larkin (R) — NO

Kenneth LaValle (R) — NO

Vincent Leibell (R) — NO

Tom Libous (R) — NO

Elizabeth Little (R) — NO

Carl Marcellino (R) — NO

George Maziarz (R) — NO

Roy McDonald (R) — NO

Hiram Monserrate (D) — NO

Velmanette Montgomery (D) — YES

Thomas Morahan (R) — NO

Michael Nozzolio (R) — NO

George Onorato (D) — NO

Suzi Oppenheimer (D) — YES

Frank Padavan (R) — NO

Kevin Parker (D) — YES

Bill Perkins (D) — YES

Michael Ranzenhofer (R) — NO

Joseph Robach (R) — NO

Stephen Saland (R) — NO

John Sampson (D) — YES

Diane Savino (D) — YES

Eric Schneiderman (D) — YES

Jose Serrano (D) — YES

James Seward (R) — NO

Dean Skelos (R) — NO

Malcolm Smith (D) — YES

Daniel Squadron (D) — YES

William Stachowski (D) — NO

Toby Ann Stavisky (D) — YES

Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) — YES

Antoine Thompson (D) — YES

David Valesky (D) — YES

Dale Volker (R) — NO

George Winner (R) — NO

Catherine Young (R) — NO

Memorial Service and New Homeless Shelter

[New York City - Manhattan] Integrity joined with The Latino Commission on AIDS, Committee on Solidarity of Jorge Steven Lopez, The LGBT Community Center of New York, The Office of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Dignity NY, PFLAG NY and the Episcopal Church of St. Luke in the Fields for a Vigil, Memorial Service, and Community Mobilization in Memory of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. Jorge Lopez was a gay/trans teen who was brutally murdered in Puerto Rico last week.

Memorial services were held across the continental US as well as Puerto Rico on Sunday.  In New York City, The Episcopal Church of St. Luke in the Fields and Integrity were both invited by the wider community to take leadership roles in the organizing and running of the events.

Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilmember-Elect Daniel Dromm (both of the LGBT community) spoke against the hatred against our community, which is often harder on the LGBT community of color.  They called for more education and community involvement.  The Rally traveled by candelight to the doors of St. Luke in the Fields where participants were greeted by Integrity members and The Rev. Mary Foulke of St. Luke in the Fields.  There was standing room only as the service began.

Daniel Leyva, the primary organizer of the event spoke about how important it is that the religious community that is supportive of the LGBT community to speak out about these injustices.  Earlier this year, Senator Ruben Diaz, also a Pentecostal minister, led a rally where he brought several thousand Pentecostal ministers and leaders to New York to speak out against the LGBT community and especially in response to Marriage Equality. Mr. Leyva reiterated that not all the religious are like Senator Diaz's group, and he praised the Episcopal Church and Integrity.

[New York City - Astoria Queens] Episcopal Community Services of Long Island partnered with The Ali Forney Center to  meet basic emergency needs, increase coping and decision making capacities, and assist in planning for the re-integration into community living, of homeless and  runaway youth who identify as LGBT in the New York City area to open the St. Andrew's Center in Astoria, NY on Monday 23 Nov.

Bishop Larry Provenzano and his wife were in attendance at this opening as were Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilmember-Elect Daniel Dromm (both members of the LGBT community).  The Rev. Charles McCarron and lay leader Michael Meaney (donations coordinator for the project) were instrumental in this partnership with the Ali Forney Center. "I believe that the Ali Forney Center at St. Andrew's is a wonderful example of how different groups can work together toward the same goal.  The young people we serve are perhaps the most marginalized of the homeless, yet they are young enough to change their lives with some compassionate and non-judgmental help.  As Gay New Yorkers we should all be proud of the work that the Ali Forney Center has been doing for years and I am pleased that the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island has joined in this important work.  It would be fantastic if more people could help the Ali Forney Center to grow and accomplish even more on behalf of our GLBT youth.  One of the quotes I put up on a wall in the center is something I think works for the youth and for the volunteers as well, 'The purpose of life is a life of purpose'." said Michael Meany, who organized donations and volunteers to get the project done.

"It really meant a lot to this community to see the Church, or Episcopal Church, stand with the most vulnerable of our community and dedicate time and talent, and almost 500k in funds.  I am so proud of the Diocese of Long Island and grateful to Michael Meaney, Father McCarron and Bishop Provenzano for all their work," said Chap Day, Province II Coordinator for Integrity USA who was in attendance. "Bishop Provenzano and the Diocese of Long Island are a beacons of hope to the LGBT community here in Queens, and an example of community cooperation that I hope other dioceses will mimic."

There is an ongoing homeless youth crisis in New York City and nation-wide. In New York City, that number is believed to be between 12,000 and 15,000. Approximately 3,000 to 8,000 homeless youth in New York City are LGBTQ. This calculation is based on research that demonstrates that 20 to 40 percent of all homeless youth identify LGBTQ.

The Ali Forney Center is named for Ali Forney. Ali Forney was a homeless queer teen who was forced to live on the streets of New York during the 1990s. Ali was dedicated to the safety of other homeless queer youth; he was a committed HIV prevention worker, and aggressively advocated that the NYPD investigate a series of murders of the homeless queer youth he had befriended. Ali was an inspiration to those who knew him.  In December of 1997, Ali was murdered on the streets. His tragic death called attention to the atrocious conditions for homeless LGBT youth in New York. Ali's murderer has never been identified.

The dedication ended with a community reading of a prayer Ali Forney wrote:

I believe that one day, the Lord will come back to get me. Hallelujah.  If I live right, Hallelujah, I will go on to that righteous place. I believe that one day, Hallelujah, all my trails, all my tribulations, they will be over.  I won't have to worry about crying and suffering no more.  I won't have to worry about being disappointed, because my God, Hallelujah, is coming back for me.  Whether I am a man with a dress and a wig, My God will love me for who I am!  I might not walk like I'm supposed to walk.  I might not have sex with who I'm supposed to have sex with.  My God will love me for what I am! So don't worry about me, worry about yourself. Because as long as God believes in me, I'm not worried about what folks say, Hallelujah.

You Can Help With This Project: An Invitation From Michael Meaney:

At the coming season of Our Lord's birth there are special ways to help.  There is no holiday line in the budget so we depend on generous donations. As we shop for ourselves and gifts, it would be fantastic to remember the sacrifice Our Lord made for us and try to make some sacrifices for others.  Christmas is a particularly difficult time for our teens at the center, perhaps the most marginalized of all the homeless.  In a season often associated with family it is easy to see why young people would have feelings stirred up.  We are asking for gift cards in only ten and twenty dollar denominations to McDonald's, Target and CVS only.  We want to limit ourselves to these three places so teen jealousy does not appear.  These gift cards will give our teens some buying power that they do not usually experience.  Please send out an email to your family and friends asking for help as well.

Gift cards can be sent to Michael Meaney c/o Zion Episcopal Church 243-01 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY 11363.  Contact me for other donation destinations.  It would be best if donations could be received early, before December 15th, so we know what we have to work with.  The Ali Forney Center at St. Andrew's will have 16 residents for the holidays and Ali Forney has some 65 residents in their living shelter system to treat this holiday season. coordinating this all can be a difficult task for the Ali Forney team, so we ask that gifts are limited to the pre mentioned items.

Vigil, Memorial Service & Community Mobilization in Memory of Jorge Steven López Mercado

Sunday 22 November
5pm Vigil at Pier 45 (Christopher Street Pier)
6:30pm Memorial Service at St. Luke in the Fields (Hudson St and Grove St)

Integrity will be joining several other organizations in participation in this event. We hope you will try to join us in solidarity with the López Mercado family and others across the country.

Jorge Steven López Mercado, a gay/trans teenager was found beaten, decapitated, dismembered, and burned about a week ago in Puerto Rico because of his sexuality.  The killer is claiming "gay panic" after he discovered that Mercado, who was in drag, was a male.  The killer met Mercado while looking for women in an area known for prostitution.  Activists are demanding that the alleged perpetrator be charged under the new U.S. federal hate crimes law which includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

Hundreds of people took part in a march through San Juan last night to demand an end to homophobia. The López Mercado family fully accepted the openly gay teenager--Mercado's ex-boyfriend continues to speak publicly on the family's behalf.

New York Congressmembers José Serrano and Nydia Velázquez have both condemned the gruesome murder. And New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's office has co-sponsored this vigil.

[PR Integrity USA] - Disaffected Anglicans Choose Wrong Side of History

From Walking With Integrity

October 22, 2009
For Immediate Release

LOS ANGELES, CA--The recent announcement that the Vatican would set up a special canonical structure to accept disaffected Anglicans, choosing to leave over the inclusion of women and the LGBT faithful, is viewed by Integrity as another sad indicator of the church hierarchy’s misguided commitment to staying on the wrong side of history.

"There is some clarity in all of this, however," said Integrity Preisdent David Norgard. "Anglicans will now have a clear choice: a church that welcomes all or a church that excludes some.

"It is also ironic that this announcement comes just days after the Vatican unveiled plans for an exhibit honoring Galileo--who was condemned by the church 400 years ago," said Norgard. "Let us hope for the sake of the gospel we share, that our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters don’t have to wait 400 years for their church to get on the right side of history on the full inclusion of women and the LGBT baptized in their work and witness.

"Integrity will continue to work for the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments within the Episcopal Church and to offer the good news of congregations and dioceses whose welcome to all is growing the church.

"God is not finished with the Episcopal Church yet. But we are deeply grateful to be part of a church working toward full inclusion.”

END

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